The year is 1876,
and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family
has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any
rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just
read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from
her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor
is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious
Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends
more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet
handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her
reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.

Something Strange
and Deadly was an exciting thrill ride with a bit of something for everyone. I
haven’t jumped on the zombie-craze bandwagon yet, but from the moment I heard
about this book - and saw its unbelievably beautiful cover - I was intrigued and knew I had to read it.

I loved Eleanor.
She was a misfit in her own life - she was unlike the other girls her age, she
was stifled under her mother’s harsh and watchful eye, and she didn’t care about
fashion and appearances and all the other things girls of her station were
supposed to care about. She was innocent and protected in a lot of ways, but
she was also spirited and more forward-thinking than a lot of the people around
her. It made for a really interesting balance within her character, and I
enjoyed watching her develop and learn.

The secondary
characters added life and intrigue to the story. Eleanor’s mother, while I do
believe she loved her daughter in her own strange way, was selfish and obsessed
with appearances, and she used Eleanor in ways that made my blood boil. Then
there was Clarence, the brother of one of Eleanor’s ‘friends’ and the young man
Mrs. Fitt hoped Eleanor would marry because he came from a good family
and could be their salvation from financial ruin. I have to admit, there was
something about Clarence that drew me in - he was mysterious and sometimes
irritating, and the tense interactions between him and Eleanor were often
amusing. My favourite characters other than Eleanor were the trio of
Spirit-Hunters (a group tracking a powerful necromancer who was controlling the
Dead) - Daniel, Joseph, and Jie. They were each special in their own way, and
they each had scenes with Eleanor that made me love them. They added such
diversity to the story with their own talents and distinct personalities, and I especially enjoyed the interactions between Eleanor and Daniel. They hated each other at first, but it slowly developed into something more - grudging respect and admiration, a desire to protect each other, and maybe a little something more.

Something Strange and Deadly was thrilling,
gruesome, and exciting. The plot itself was
tightly woven with moments of humour and romance, but always an underlying
sense of tension and danger. I was both terrified and fascinated at the notion of
Dead, along with the malevolent spirit and the necromancer. The writing was
absolutely beautiful, and Eleanor’s voice, along with the setting, felt very
authentic. When I read an historic novel, I like to be transported to that time
and place, and that was definitely the case with this book. The dialogue,
Eleanor’s inner commentary, and the descriptions of everything felt bang on, and I have to give Ms Dennard major kudos for that.

Overall, Something
Strange and Deadly was a beautifully written story with diverse characters, a
plot that thrills and chills, a mystery that will keep you guessing, a hint of
romance and humour, and enough action to make your heart race. With a
bittersweet ending that left me heartbroken because of innocence lost and painful
lessons learned, this must-read book has me yearning for its sequel to find out
what will happen to Eleanor next.

Have you read Something Strange and Deadly? What did you think?

How do you feel about zombie books? What about books with an historic setting? I'd love to hear what you think!

I haven't read this one either, but I enjoyed your review. I will be reading this book soon. I love historical novels and just finished a wonderful book called, "Up From Corinth: Book 2 of Journey Into Darkness" by author J. Arthur Moore. Duane Kinkade enters the Civil War at Shiloh in search of his father, but finds the mind-numbing chaos of battle, fear, the loss of a friend, and his own wounding; leading to an unexpected new and deep friendship in the other army as he is cared for after the battle. http://www.upfromcorinth.com/

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